Romans 2:1-29: The Hypocrisy and Sinfulness of the Jews

General Principles of God’s Judgment that specifically apply to Jewish sinners (Rom 2:1-16)

I.                  The judgment of people by God is according to the real truth vs. 1-3

a.      Human judgment is biased, inconsistent, and often hypocritical (Matt 7:1-5)

b.     Humans are often blind to their own sin, except in others

c.      Humans will not escape God’s accurate judgment

II.                The timing of the judgment of people by God reveals He is long-suffering and has gracious forbearance vs. 4-5

a.      God’s forbearance is granted to people (He has not judged me yet; I must be excused)

b.     God’s long-suffering kindness is abused by people who refuse to truly repent (They are stockpiling more wrath for the future by their rebellious self-rule. Judgment is in degrees. See Luke 12:45-48; 2 Cor 5:10; 11:15; Matt 16:27; Rom 2:6, 16; Acts 10:42; Rom 14:10-12; Deut 28:20; Psa 28:4; Luke 23:41; John 5:29; Gal 5:21; 1 Tim 5:24-25; 2 Tim 4:14)

c.      God’s forbearance and delay of His full wrath is weakness (He must be reluctant to give me my just due; maybe I will get away with it after all)

III.              The final judgment of people by God is individual vs. 6 (each person, not a group)

IV.              The judgment of people by God is according to works vs. 7-8 (This is not salvation by works, but judgment by works. See Psa 62:12; Prov 24:12; Eccl 11:9, 12:14; Isa 59:18; Jer 17:9-10, 21:14, 25:14, 32:19, 50:15; Ezek 24:14, 36:19; Hos 12:2; Matt 16:27, 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Acts 10:42; Rom 14:10; 1 Cor 3:12-15, 4:5, 6:9-11; 2 Cor 5:10, 11:15; Gal 6:7-9; Eph 6:8; 2 Tim 4:14; 2 Thes 1:4-7; 1 Pet 1:17; 1 John 3:7-10; Jude 14-15; Rev 2:23, 11:18, 18:6, 20:12-13, 22:12)

V.                The judgment of people by God is impartial concerning race, family and status vs. 9-11

a.      Judgment for sin will come to everyone who does wrong things (words, thoughts, communications, deeds/actions)

b.     The blessings of God come on everyone who does good (words, thoughts, communications, deeds/actions)

c.      The judgment of God does not have several standards (You do not get a free pass because of who you are, who you know, race, reputation, social status, financial status, age, or any external conditions. It is based on the violations done and with justice and appropriateness. See Deut 1:17, 10:17, 16:19, 32:4; 2Chr 9:17, Acts 10:34; Gal 2:6; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; Jam 2:9; 1 Pet 1:17)

VI.              The judgment of people by God will come to both those who have been exposed to the written law of God (Jews) and those who have never heard of God’s law (Gentiles)

a.      Those who sin against their conscience and general revelation are still without excuse and will languish under wrath forever even though they never heard God’s instruction in the Bible

b.      Those who have the Hebrew Bible will be judged by their perfect adherence to all that is written in the Scriptures (listening to the Old Testament without loyally obeying it perfectly only increases one’s punishment) Jam 1:23-25. This is also true for make-believers in the church. They have more truth, and thus greater responsibility and greater judgment

c.      Justification, to be declared righteous in God’s courtroom, requires perfect conformity to the Law (moral, civil, and ceremonial). The Jewish remnant realized they could not do this, so they relied on God by faith and received justification based on the perfect obedience and death of God’s Messiah, Yeshu’a

d.     Even the pagans have some of the moral law, especially commands 5-9 written in their hearts and instructing their consciences. A regenerate believer has all the moral laws, including the Ten Commandments, engraved “on” their hearts, Jer 31:33. This law in the heart leaves the pagans even more without excuse along with general revelation and conscience

VII.            The judgment of people by God will include their secret sins and the Messiah Jesus will be their judge vs. 16 (Eccl 12:14; Matt 10:26, 12:37; Mar 4:22; Luke 8:17; 1 Cor 4:5; Acts 17:31, 24:25; 2 Cor 5:10)

Further evidence of the sinfulness of the Jews (Rom 2:17-29)

I.                  The people claiming to be Jews have God’s special revelation revealed in the Hebrew Bible vs. 17-20

II.                The people claiming to be Jews are questioned and challenged vs.21-23

III.              The people claiming to be Jews are rebuked and instructed vs. 24-29

a.      The name of God is severely dishonored because of the hypocrisy of His people

b.     How are we violating the law of God? We are circumcised! Unless you keep the law perfectly, your circumcision is worthless and is undone as a sign of a covenant relationship

c.      We are the only ones in God’s family, as is shown by the ceremonial law. How can we be excluded? The most important thing is the righteousness of God, not rituals

d.     If the righteous uncircumcised will judge the unrighteous circumcised, then what does it mean to be Jewish? (The English term Jew is from the Hebrew term Yudah = Praise) A true Jew is one who has a circumcised heart. Regeneration followed by conversion from selfishness and sin makes one a son or daughter of God and a worshiper of God. (Deut 10:16, 30:6; Jer 4:4, 9:25-26; Rom 3:30, 4:9-11; 1 Cor 7:18; Gal 2:3, 5:1-13; Eph 2:11, 13-22; Phil 3:2-3; Col 2:11, 3:11; Titus 1:10-11) 

Romans 1:18-32 The Sinfulness of the Gentiles

Why humans cannot be saved by works

 

I.                 Four unveilings, revelations, or exposures are mentioned in Chapter 1

A.     The revelation of God’s nature to man vs. 20

B.     The revelation of each human’s sinful heart to the entire world vs. 22

C.     The revelation of God’s wrath against sin and sinners vs. 18

D.     The revelation of the righteousness of God in the Gospel vs. 17

E.      The linchpin verse of the chapter is vs. 17

1.      Introduction to the letter and to the gospel of grace vs. 1-17

2.      The evidence for the sinfulness of the Gentiles vs. 18-32

II.               The Gentiles are sinful and without personal righteousness vs. 18-32

A.     Why God’s wrath, His holy indignation & judgment is continually being revealed

1.      Man, historically rejected God through two sets of genealogies, Adam and Noah and his three sons and their wives vs. 20

2.      Every person alive today had an ancestor who knew the God of the Bible who was followed by a child who was not taught the truth or who deliberately rejected God and the message of his parents vs. 20

3.      Every person alive today has a personal and internal knowledge of God that they nurture or suppress with evolution, relativism, belief in a chance universe, luck, fate, pagan philosophy, or immorality vs. 19

B.     The God of the Bible is revealed through natural, general revelation vs. 20

1.      His general attributes and designs are displayed in the created universe

2.      Therefore, every human is responsible, accountable, and without excuse for his/her rejection of God and His moral law

3.      People intentionally suppress this knowledge; they choose atheism or agnosticism for very practical reasons: their lifestyle

4.      God’s creative supernatural power, design, omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and holiness are seen in the created order

C.     General and personal revelation are both clear. However, humans are blind and spiritually dead, so they are defective receptors of the truth. But because of the clarity of the revelation, they are responsible, accountable, and without excuse

D.     We all had an ancestor who personally knew the Creator God of the Bible

1.      People used to know God: Adam, Eve, Shem, Ham, Japheth vs. 21

2.      The knowledge of God was rejected and held down

3.      This resulted in a loss of the wisdom of God’s revelation vs. 21b-22

4.      The knowledge of God was substituted for idols and false religion vs. 23

E.      Suppression, rejection, and substitution of the truth brought on God’s wrath

1.      God gave them over to sin’s rule in their life vs. 24, 26, 28

2.      The judgment is God removing the restraints and allowing them to follow their desires, loves, and hearts into the worst kind of bondage

3.      These people know they are wrong in what they choose to believe and do, but they willingly go deeper into sin to their own destruction vs. 21

F.      The pagans follow a pattern that is a downward spiral of depravity and degradation that follows three stages vs. 24

1.       Sexual immorality – lusts – ferocious appetites – desires out of control

2.      Sexual abnormality – the principle of diminishing returns vs. 26-27 passions out of control like a raging forest fire (see Gen 19:4-9; Lev 18:22, 20:13; Deut 23:17-18; Judg 19:22-24; 1 Kgs 14:24, 15:12, 22:46; 2 Kgs 23:7; Isa 3:9; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Eph 4:19; 1 Tim 1:10; Heb 13:4; 2 Peter 2:6; and Jude 7; Rev 21:8, 27, 22:15)

3.      Sinful reprobate mind – free moral agency is damaged by constant surrender to the bondage of sin and Satan vs. 28-32

G.     What you worship reveals your moral framework vs. 25

1.      Sinful humans cannot diminish God’s glory

2.      Men’s character reflects what they truly worship

H.     Sample sins of pagans

1.      General heart motivations and specific desires vs. 29 (unrighteousness, evil, greed, wickedness—full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, malice)

2.      Daily conduct of Gentile sinners gossips to unmerciful vs. 29e-30 (gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, inhumane, unforgiving, unmerciful)

I.       The stages of sin and the lists are sins worthy of capital punishment

J.       Man’s inhumanity to man is proof of the doctrine of total depravity

III.            The evidence is clear that humans without special revelation and regeneration will live purposeless, cruel, and wicked lives

A.     The Gentiles do not possess personal righteousness

B.     The Gentiles cannot be delivered from judgment by works

C.     The Gentiles need to get righteousness from somewhere else so they can escape the wrath of the Holy God of the Bible

D.     Jesus is the only way of salvation, deliverance from wrath for pagan Gentile sinners

 

 

  

The book of Romans 1:1-17

 

Romans 1:1-17

I.                  Author of the book of Romans: The Apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus)

II.                The original audience: the Church (people) in the city of Rome

A.     The church was founded by people who had been reached by Paul

B.     The church was made up of converted Gentiles, converted Jewish proselytes who were born Gentiles, and full Jews who were converted to Christianity

III.              The book of Romans was written to instruct the believers at Rome who had not been discipled by the Apostle Paul

A.     He is preparing them for a possible visit

B.     He is presenting the basic system of salvation to a church that had not yet been taught by an Apostle of Christ

C.     He is explaining the relationship between Jew and Gentile in God’s plan of redemption and especially in the new covenant administration

IV.              Romans was probably written from Corinth during Paul’s third missionary journey in AD 57-58

V.                The book’s theme: The righteousness of God revealed and applied to sinners

A.     The universal unrighteousness of humans

B.     The gracious righteousness of God and His plan of salvation

C.     The application of God’s just righteousness to believers

D.     How humans get a right standing with God

VI.              Theme of Romans chapter 1: The gospel of grace for unrighteous sinners

A.     Introduction to Romans and the gospel of grace Rom 1:1-17

B.     The gospel of grace saves humans and sets them apart for kingdom service vs. 1

                                                                             i.      Slave, Lordship, called to be an Apostle of Christ (only 13)

                                                                           ii.      Set apart to share the gospel

C.     The gospel of grace that saves was declared in the Old Testament vs. 2

                                                                             i.      Promised beforehand

                                                                           ii.      Revealed in the Prophets (All Old Testament writers)

                                                                          iii.      The Scriptures are holy, without spot, blemish, or error

D.     The gospel of grace is centered on God’s Son, Jesus the Messiah vs. 3-4

                                                                             i.      Seed of David, humanity, Jewish, Abraham, Messianic covenant

                                                                           ii.      God’s Son, fully divine, co-eternal, co-equal, 2 natures, the God-Man

                                                                          iii.      Sender of the Holy Spirit, resurrected from the dead

                                                                          iv.      Centered on Yeshu’a the Messiah, the LORD

E.      The gospel of grace will radically change your city vs. 5-7

                                                                             i.      The obedience it produces is the fruit of faith and repentance

                                                                           ii.      It includes the Gentiles in the new covenant for Jesus’ glory

                                                                          iii.      Called to salvation in Yeshu’a the Messiah through faith

F.      The gospel of grace must be nurtured in the true believer’s life vs. 8-13

                                                                             i.      Radical converts shake up the world with their lives

                                                                           ii.      Radical converts shake up the world with their words – the gospel

                                                                          iii.      Praying by believers for believers is necessary for all

                                                                          iv.      The need for fellowship and edification is included in the prayers

                                                                           v.      Apostolic sign gifts were given by the Apostles’ own will during the writing of the New Testament to authenticate the men and the message

                                                                          vi.      Mutual edification and encouragement are vital to the Christian life   (Jesus started with 3, 12, 120, 3,000, see The Man-code)

                                                                        vii.      Fellowship involves planning, traveling, effort, and results in fruit

G.     The gospel of grace must be brought to all the ethnic groups vs. 14-15

                                                                             i.      It is the believer’s duty to spread the gospel to all by giving, praying, sending, and going

                                                                           ii.      The message to be preached includes the gospel (Creation, Rule, Grace, Man, God, Christ, Repentance, Faith, Surrender)

                                                                          iii.      Local evangelism and foreign missions is the obligation of all believers and all churches

H.     The gospel of grace powerfully saves sinners who truly believe vs. 16

                                                                             i.      The world rejects the gospel, but we are not to be ashamed of this message that is foolish and without signs

                                                                           ii.      The Jews were to receive the message first in God’s plan of redemption

                                                                          iii.      The Gentiles also get to hear the message after the Jews hear it first

                                                                          iv.      Everyone who believes is delivered from sin’s bondage by God’s power

                                                                           v.      It is not a person’s own strength, but the power of God that saves a  sinner

                                                                          vi.      The gospel has power in itself and when applied by the Holy Spirit; it is power upon power

I.       The gospel of grace is the message of God’s righteousness by faith apart from works vs. 17

                                                                             i.      The righteousness, holiness, and justice of God are revealed in the gospel message

                                                                           ii.      Man receives righteousness by faith and faith alone, from start to finish

                                                                          iii.      Deliverance from sin and the Christian life begin and continue by faith

                                                                          iv.      No one is saved by self-righteousness or good works, but by an alien imputed righteousness apart from rituals, ceremonies, or deeds